Brief forengage Conference 2012 Programmer

April-October 2012

engage wishes to commission a Programmer to develop the concept for the engage International Conference 2012 and to programme this important annual event.

The Programmer will work closely with the engage Director, engage staff and members of the engage Cymru Development Group (eCDG) in developing their ideas for the Conference and will submit the final programme by June 2012. engage staff will work with the Programmer on the practical planning of the event, dealing with logistics including liaising with speakers and bookings of venues, catering, transport, etc.

Conference 2012

Location

The conference will take place in Cardiff from 6-7 November. This will give delegates an opportunity to visit the exhibition of the international art prize Artes Mundi (being held at National Museum Wales, Cardiff), as well as other cultural events and venues across the city, including Chapter Arts Centre, Ffotogallery and G39.

Theme

engage International Conference 2012 explores the relationships between locally and internationally focused or derived visual arts practices. How can the ambitions of visual arts institutions for their work to be recognised internationally be reconciled with their role in supporting local artists and developing audiences?

We would like the conference programmer to explore the theme across the UK and internationally with a strong focus on education and participatory practice in the visual arts.

The conference will take the format of lectures, presentationsand workshops that provide opportunities for exchange and debate. The Programmer will be asked to draw on relevant experience amongst gallery educators, artists and participants and case studies nationally and internationally for overall conference content.

Please see the ‘Further Information’ section below for more detailed information on the conference theme, context and structure, and for information about engage.

Programmer Role

engage is seeking a Programmer who will work with colleagues to:

  • Develop an overall concept for the Conference within the broad theme outlined
  • Define the areas to be debated
  • Identify key speakers and their role in the conference, in liaison with engage staff and the engage Cymru Development Group
  • Identify other contributors and facilitators in consultation with engage and eCDG
  • Devise other activities that enable discussion and participation
  • Develop a programme that satisfies the interests of gallery educators and associated colleagues from the UK and overseas,at different stages of their careers
  • Invite speakers, workshop/session leaders, facilitators and chairs, working to a template and fee structure agreed with engage
  • Provide contact details for proposed speakers and contributors
  • Provide alternative suggestions for speakers and contributors in case of changes in availability
  • Attend the Conference and provide support for contributors and staff

The Programmer will need to work within a limited budget to programme both keynote speakers and breakout sessions – we would expect that some keynote presenters will also run breakout sessions. Regular meetings will be held between the Programmer and the engage staff team. The Programmer may also travel to Cardiff and/or consult with the engage Cymru Development Group.

The fee for this work is £3,000 (inclusive of VAT), plus up to £500 expenses (including accommodation etc. during conference). The Programmer will work from their own home/office.

Person Specification

Essential:

  • Experience of programming visual arts events
  • Knowledge of contemporary visual art in an international context
  • Knowledge of gallery education and/or visual arts education
  • Experience of programming continuing professional development events
  • Knowledge of cultural policy development in the UK, particularly in the visual arts
  • Clear, concise communicator, confident presenting ideas in writing or verbally
  • Ability to meet deadlines
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Ability to work as part of a small team across sites
  • Ability to prioritise and work under pressure
  • Ability to work within a set and limited budget
  • Creative problem-solver
  • Willingness to programme an event in accordance with engage’s Welsh Language Policy

To apply please send the following:

  • A proposal (no more that two sides A4) explaining how you will approach this brief, including ideas for potential contributors and theme development
  • A statement (no more than one side A4) giving evidence of how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the person specification and equip you to undertake this work
  • Your current CV
  • Details of two referees

Applications should be sent via email only to by 10am on Monday 26 March. Interviews will take place in London on the afternoon ofTuesday 3 April. Applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted by Thursday 29 March.

If you have any queries, or wish to discuss the brief further, please contact Jane Sillis, Director of engage on 020 7729 5858.

Further Information

Artes Mundi

Artes Mundi is an internationally focused arts organisation that identifies, recognises and supports contemporary visual artists who engage with social reality and lived experience.

Established in 2002 and based in Wales, Artes Mundi is committed to supporting groundbreaking contemporary visual artists from around the world whose work engages with social reality, lived experience and the human condition.

Artes Mundi is a research process that begins with an open call to nominate artists from anywhere in the world, leading to a biennial exhibition and prize selected from the nominations, concluding with commissions that arise from that process. The exhibition brings together a group of artists whose work stimulates debate about social and political themes.

The new National Museum of Art (housed in National Museum Wales, Cardiff) will host the Artes Mundi exhibition in October 2012.

Theme

Galleries and stakeholders are concerned both with artistic quality and with nurturing new audiences for the arts. Can these two equally important aims exist side-by-side, or do they compete ideologically and in terms of securing diminishing resource? How can galleries ensure that their work is accessible to audiences, particularly those new to the arts? And how is the learning curator’s role positioned within these aims?
There is an appetite amongst stakeholders and audiences to experience international practice and to promote the visual arts internationally. What are the distinctions between a locally conceived programme and one with an international focus? Many visual arts organisations do innovative and challenging local projects - how can locally derived work be given the status accorded to international work? Does well-funded work with an international focus take funding away from more locally focused visual arts and education initiatives? What are the benefits of sharing and disseminating practice with a local focus across the UK and internationally? What is the role of partnership working in delivering these benefits?
Wales and Cardiff in 2012 provides an interesting context in which to explore these ideas and questions. The engage International Conference will examine the impact of international initiatives such as Artes Mundi (which has a record of early-career educator development), the representation of Wales at the Venice Biennale, and the international focus of programmes of galleries across Wales, alongside the work of locally focused artist initiatives such as G39 and WARP (Wales Artist Resource Programme) and galleries with active learning programmes such as Ffotogallery.

Structure

The conference is likely to comprise:

Monday 5 November

Evening - Optional evening event

Tuesday 6 November

Morning- View Artes Mundi exhibition with interpretation/guides

- Additional visit options

Noon- Registration and lunch at City Hall

1-5pm- Keynote presentations and roundtable discussions, including plenary session

5pm onwards - Soapbox (presentations of delegates’ work)

- engage AGM

- Marsh Awards for Excellence in Gallery Education

- Conference dinner

Wednesday 7 November

Morning- Parallel discussion/workshop sessions exploring topics and/or case studies related to the conference theme, held at venues across Cardiff

Noon-1pm- Lunch and chance to view Artes Mundi exhibition at National Museum Cardiff

1-4pm- Keynote sessions, plenary and discussions at National Museum Cardiff

4pm- Conference ends

Conference planning and delivery timeframe

April – mid-May

  • Conference budget agreed by engage
  • Programmer develops conference programme
  • engage staff take practical steps to implement conference programme, e.g. book venues, accommodation and catering, and research transport for delegates between venues
  • Initial publicity for conference with dates, venues and theme sent to engage members by email and posted on website by mid-May

Mid-May – July

  • Programmer produces detailed programme to be agreed by engage colleagues, publicity updated and distributed by engage staff
  • Programmer confirms speakers, facilitators, workshop leaders and chairs etc.
  • Programmer briefs contributors

July – October

  • engage staff book delegates into Conference
  • engage staffcontact contributors to discuss technical requirements and arrange travel and accommodation
  • engage staff liaise with venue staff re practicalities e.g. technical requirements of contributors
  • engage staff liaise with speakers to obtain biographies, presentations and reading lists required prior to the event and for conference packs

October

  • engage staff continue to liaise with venue staff on practicalities
  • engage staff finalise arrangements for accommodation and catering etc
  • engage staff divide delegates into breakout sessions/workshops etc
  • engage staff put together delegates packs with Programmer, including a programme, delegate list, contributors’ details and an evaluation form
  • Roles for engage staff and volunteers at Conference agreed with Programmer

November

  • Programmer attends conference and supports contributors
  • engage staff and Programmer meet to evaluate conference

About engage

engage is the lead professional association promoting understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts through advocacy, professional development, research and projects and disseminating practice.

engage has a membership of around 900, including c.270 galleries, museums and arts centres across the UK and in 19 countries internationally. engage is a regularly funded organisation of Arts Council England and receives project funding from Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales.

The engage International Conference has become a major annual event that brings together 150 - 200 gallery educators, artists, teachers, academics and curators from the UK and other countries. The Conference aims to stimulate debate about gallery education and issues affecting practice, to inform delegates about current cultural and educational policies and developmentsin the visual arts, to assist in raising the status of gallery education and to enable networking amongst engage members and other delegates.

For more details visit

Welsh Language Policy

engage has a Welsh Language Policy. The Conference Programmer will need to work with engage staff to develop a programme in line with the policy. Please contact if you would like a copy of this policy.